By Neel Shelat
After an eighth-place league end in 2022/23 – their worst in about 15 seasons – Tottenham Hotspur went for a change in course and employed a comparatively unproven head coach within the type of Ange Posecoglu. Whereas the Australian tactician had quite a lot of expertise from world wide, he had not labored on the most elite degree for so long as predecessors corresponding to José Mourinho or Antonio Conte. Extra importantly, his fashion of play was fairly totally different, requiring the squad to be rebuilt in his picture.
About 18 months down the road, the Premier League desk alone suggests Spurs’ fortunes haven’t improved a lot. Nonetheless, it hardly paints an correct image. There are a myriad of things that have to be analysed to appropriately assess Tottenham Hotspur’s present place.
Exceeding expectations in 2023/24
Postecoglu’s aspect may even have finished too properly for their very own good of their first season. Many analysts warned that they would wish a great deal of time and transfers to correctly click on, so one other end exterior the European spots was stated to be on the playing cards. As a substitute, Spurs completed as excessive as fifth and even got here inside a few factors of the Champions League locations, naturally main followers to get their hopes up for what they might have anticipated to be a good higher second season.
Nonetheless, it’s value noting that Tottenham overperformed in varied respects final time period. It is also argued that rivals’ struggles had been the primary purpose they jumped up three spots from the earlier marketing campaign. Certainly, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Chelsea – who all completed above Spurs in 2022/23 – had disappointing seasons for various causes. Even then, Tottenham needed to outperform their anticipated factors fairly considerably to complete fifth.
Had Spurs ended up in a mid-table place final season and improved to fifth in 2024/25, there would absolutely be widespread positivity round Postecoglu’s work.
Never-ending damage points
Tottenham’s league place final season earned them UEFA Europa League qualification, which clearly is a constructive on the entire. Nonetheless, one draw back was an elevated variety of fixtures since they didn’t play European soccer in 2023/24. This has confirmed to be a difficulty in some respects because the fixed barrage of matches has possible contributed to Spurs’ ever-increasing damage checklist.
The right encapsulation of Tottenham’s ongoing predicament is the truth that their first-choice again 4 of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Future Udogie have solely shared the pitch for quarter-hour since beginning eight of the season’s first 9 Premier League matches collectively. At current, all of them bar Porro is out injured, as is first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and backup defender Ben Davies. Whereas the ahead division has not suffered such huge losses concurrently, every of Tottenham’s senior attackers apart from Dejan Kulusevski have additionally missed some matches this season.
Because of these absences, Postecoglu has needed to vogue all types of makeshift options from fielding teenage full again Archie Grey on the coronary heart of the defence to constantly utilizing 17-year-old attacking expertise Mikey Moore for a stretch of video games. Regardless of these gamers’ greatest efforts, Spurs’ performances and outcomes have naturally taken a success.
Tactical rigidity
Whereas there’s a vital factor of misfortunate behind Tottenham’s damage disaster, it might not be proper to thoroughly absolve Postecoglu of all blame. For one, critics could argue that his intense fashion of play is at the very least partly inflicting all these accidents, and it additionally makes it harder for these seeking to return to full health.
An excellent stronger level is the truth that the 59-year-old coach has modified subsequent to nothing in his system regardless of having to discipline gamers out of place and constantly failing to get good outcomes. For instance, his ways are fairly demanding on the centre-backs as they’re usually left remoted with a whole lot of floor to cowl each out and in of possession. Whereas the likes Romero and Van de Ven are adept at such roles, it’s unreasonable to anticipate a teen enjoying out of place in his first top-flight season to do an equally good job.
So, Postecoglu unwillingness to tweak his strategy is one a part of the explanation that Spurs have conceded the fifth-highest xG tally within the league to this point.
Questionable switch enterprise
Maybe the largest reason behind Tottenham’s struggles this season is neither their tactical strategy nor their luck with accidents however their work in the summertime switch window. Postecoglu did a implausible job of constructing do with what he had final season and refashioning varied gamers to swimsuit his system, however there was nonetheless a great deal of work to be finished within the switch window to correctly consolidate the squad. From assault to defence, varied positions might have used reinforcement, however not all acquired them.
Spurs followers have usually been displeased with a perceived lack of funding from their homeowners, however they’ve spent nine-digit sums on switch charges in 5 of the final six seasons. They invested near €150 million final summer season, so the true concern lies of their decision-making somewhat than uncooked spending.
Virtually half of the cash Tottenham spent forward of this season was on one participant: Dominic Solanke. Whereas he has not carried out poorly in any respect, a big-money striker ought to by no means have been Spurs’ prime precedence. They averaged shut to 2 objectives per sport within the league final season, so their assault was doing nice. As a substitute, they may have made a few signings within the defensive division, and with hindsight, it’s simple to see why going into the season with simply three out-and-out centre-backs was a foul thought.
Postecoglu has definitely confirmed that he can take a full-strength squad to spectacular heights, so Tottenham should purpose to assist him with acceptable squad constructing. So long as he can discipline one thing near a first-choice XI, the Australian tactician ought to nonetheless be totally backed to succeed with Spurs.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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